The Havana Police Department dispatch staff consists of a team of five local men and women, with a combined 60 plus years of career experience. Each dispatcher works a solo 8-hour shift, and phones are manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Much like our small-town police department handles a variety of calls not necessarily law enforcement related, so do our dispatchers; multitasking is an understatement.
Unlike large agencies which can direct calls regarding varying issues to their correct departments within, Havana Police Department dispatchers must be community-oriented and able to decipher exactly what is needed.
For example, they receive calls related to animal complaints, civil issues–in which law enforcement is not the proper solution– parenting problems, general questions about the town, special events, utility issues and much more.
For example, did you know that when Town Hall is closed, their calls are routed to the police department?
During a power outage this can lead to a full queue of calls for only one dispatcher, who is also busy making calls to town officials, as well as answering calls for police-related issues and dispatching officers?
Dispatchers must excel in good communication and critical thinking. They must be able to ask pertinent questions in order to gather critical information, and clearly and effectively communicate that information to officers. They must be able to stay calm under pressure, multitask, and make split-second decisions, often based on very little information.
Thank you Havana Police Department Dispatchers!
T.J. Crawford
Shirley McGriff
Janine Quattrin
Wade Hare
Wanda Moody
